General 2024/2025 Halves Discussion

[WahsaurusRex]

Who should partner with Johnson in 2024? Who should succeed Johnson in 2025?

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Pretty sure there is already a Martin v Metcalf thread, but we have a new (and it would seem quite polarising lol) entrant.

Trying to save the recruitment thread for recruitment discussion as well.

 

[Inruin]

Assuming all are fit and good to go. TMM. With RTS at left center TMM's all round game better suits the team IMO.

 

[marv.]

i don’t know if it SHOULD but i think it WILL be Chanel by the mid way point of the season.
i reckon this environment will bring the best out of him and his energy and the way he pumps up those around him will be huge.

there’s a reason he gets picked for samoa and has been doing preseasons with first grade since he was 17. we just haven’t seen it in full yet, maybe?

plus high % goal kicker, takes pressure off SJ.
plus left foot in game kicker compliments and takes pressure off SJ.

he’s ticking some boxes there i’d say.

 

[Fufu]

Metcalf for me. Pace and X-Factor, let Johnson and Egan do the game management and let Metcalf run and play what he sees.

 

[Boats n Hoes]

Im open to any of them tbh. All of them has their pros and cons, It should come down to whoever complements SJ the best and whoever shows the best form off season and pre season games. Let them battle it out, best man wins.....the way it should be.

However IF i had to favour one of them atm it would be Metcalf, based on that successful run the team went on before he got injured and given SJ is going to do the bulk of the playmaking i want someone who provides a different skillset......and pace and the ability to threaten the line is what Metcalf has over the other 2.

In the end tho i have faith with whatever Webby decides.

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

I found watching Metcalf last year really frustrating. I didn't mind his defense so much as most young halves are not the greatest defenders. For me it was his anticipation and timing. He had a tendency to over run the ball carrier and be off with his timing. He also got white line fever a few too many times. In saying all that what he needs is more FG games. So my pick is Metcalf provided that he has signed long term with us. He has the highest ceiling of the three.

If not then TMM if he has recovered from his injury. The end of last year you could see TMM still had not fully recovered. CHT would be a great utility/half cover so I see him play a fair few FG games this year.

 

[Noitall]

This kind of atmosphere could really suit CHT, apart from his year off last year, he’s been in a shootout since 2019 with the like of Adam Keighran, Kodi Nikorima and others for his position. I like the experience of TMM being the first choice but I’ve also CHT first grade experience next up behind TMM. With CHT and Metcalf both 24 years old, up until now CHT has played 54 first grade games, some in varied positions and Metcalf 19 with 12 being for us last season. CHT has also performed at a high standard in the international scene, even in a final in another position but shows he can stand up in big games too.

 

[Billyspleen75]

I went to reply to one of the scorpion kick haters but agree we have to move the convo here.

This is a better highlight clip to judge CHT on.
They're not all side steps and line breaks, but he has an involvement in all 7 Warriors tries. Some of them are simple passes, some have subtle straightening of the line, some kicks had some luck and some kicks were pin point. But this is the example of the skill set that Webster will have to work with.


View: https://youtu.be/Trd-oVTyx1w?si=QIRZQfrrBUSki8kY

 

[mrblonde]

Start with Metcalf/TMM (whoever has the better pre-season).

Egan for me is the complicating factor. I know my medical predictions have been pretty A) Negative and B) Wrong over the last two years (see my Negative Nancy views on Tohu lasting 2023 where I wasn't quite on the money!) and now I'm extending my lack of vision into the future by looking at Wayde and his HIA history.

I certainly don't think Freddy has the experience and at this point most likely not the physical skills to be an 80M hooker (if he'd even want to become one) so if Wayde goes down for whatever reason, do we move Dylan there (whether from the start or from the bench) or do we keep him in the forwards? Surely Chanel comes into the discussion for playing hooker as I don't see moving Dylan to 9 and putting Chanel at 13 for 20 minutes as a Cleary Level Mastermind Shock Move For Guaranteed Success at this point...

 

[Noitall]

I certainly don't think Freddy has the experience and at this point most likely not the physical skills to be an 80M hooker (if he'd even want to become one) so if Wayde goes down for whatever reason, do we move Dylan there (whether from the start or from the bench) or do we keep him in the forwards? Surely Chanel comes into the discussion for playing hooker as I don't see moving Dylan to 9 and putting Chanel at 13 for 20 minutes as a Cleary Level Mastermind Shock Move For Guaranteed Success at this point...

Really conflicted about Lussick, also off contract at the end of the year. Come back in unreal condition and setting records in preseason, I’d like to see him retained unless young Fukofuka really hits his straps.

 

[regenerated borg]

Very hard to say... End of 2022 to be honest I thought some of them should go they seemed ordinary to me. Then along comes Webby and hello they werent playing the way I remembered anymore. Vast improvement and showed skills I thought they never had.
Which brings us to this topic, who partners who will depend on what other hidden talent Webby can extract out of them, that no one yet knows about that fits the make up of the team..

 

[Wrighty]

Presuming they drop Pompey then they need someone else to goal kick and for whatever reason they seem reluctant to burden SJ's hamstrings with that duty.

So CHT might get an added bonus point in the selectors thinking just for goal kicking.
He has kicked 52 goals in his career.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Season 24

1. SJ and Metcalf
2. SJ and TMM
3. SJ and CHT
4. SJ and Walker
5. SJ and Tohu

Season 25

CHT and Metcalf and TMM

Not sure who else.

 

[Wrighty]

Here is a patented Wrighty analysis for you based on numbers out of my wazoo

CHT
Running Game Zero
Passing Game 7
Kicking Game 8
Defence 8
Total 23/40
Bonus point for being a goal kicker
24/40

Metcalf
Running Game 10
Passing Game 4
Kicking Game 2
Defence 4
Total 20/40

TMM
Running Game 2
Passing Game 8
Kicking Game 2
Defence 9
TMM 21/40


My analysis has CHT ranked first

 

[Wrighty]

Here is another thought. Maybe we have too much depth in he halves if two of these guys are going to be playing cup for some of the season when all three of them should be in first grade.
As a peace offering let's trade TMM to St George for one of their starting props.

 

[Wrighty]

TMM player swap for Francis Molo - make it happen!

 

[Wrighty]

Third post in a row !!!

Then again all our halves TMM/SJ/CHT/and Metcalf get injured frequently so maybe we do need 4 halves.

 

[Noitall]

Third post in a row !!!

Then again all our halves TMM/SJ/CHT/and Metcalf get injured frequently so maybe we do need 4 halves.

Also Ben Farr floating around on a development contract that looked good in games, though plenty of work on defence required.

 

[Wrighty]

Watch this - gets you jacked about league in general


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkF-oIULueo